Suns guard Steve Nash did not play in Sunday's loss to Orlando and might not play Monday at Houston, and teammate Grant Hill can understand why.

It might seem rare to hear about a player sidelined with pubic-symphysis irritation, at least that specifically, but Hill went through it as recently as the 2008 playoffs.

"I had surgery on it my second-to-last year in Orlando," Hill said of the 2005-06 season. "After the surgery, I tried to come back. It didn't work. I basically had to shut it down and go to Vancouver for three months for rehab in the off-season. It flared up in the (2008) playoffs.

"It got worse and worse to the point where I was getting injections and it didn't help. You've got to be careful with that injury and be smart. We want him out there, but he has to get that right because it can spiral and get really bad."

Nash missed his first game since taking two off in November for the same injury. After feeling like playing Thursday was a setback, he said he improved Sunday after pregame work with head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson and in-game work with his personal physiotherapist, Rick Celebrini.

Nash said playing Monday at Houston "is probably 50-50 or even doubtful, but I feel really positive that I'll be back by Wednesday (at New Orleans) at the latest. I feel like I'm making progress. If I don't play (Monday), with a couple days I should be ready to go."

Nash battled the injury for two weeks, shooting 35 percent over eight games. He said he has played through pain and it would hurt the team to continue.